Chapter 48

After our entrance, quite a long silence followed.

Then a man inside the banquet hall burst into hearty laughter and approached Nine to greet him.

“Oh my, Duke Eclipse! Finally getting to see your face! Ha ha ha!”

He was a large man with impressive sun-tanned bronze skin.

The person receiving the second most attention in this banquet hall after Nine.

It was Johan Regwin, one of the four dukes.

His cheerful voice instantly refreshed the atmosphere of the silent banquet hall. Of course, many people’s gazes were still directed this way.

“Ah right, I haven’t introduced myself yet.”

In high society, it was proper etiquette to memorize the personal information of nobles attending a ball beforehand. Acting as if you didn’t know someone during the ball meant disrespecting them. Also, if meeting for the first time and needing to exchange greetings, it was basic for the lower-ranking person to introduce themselves first. The opposite situation was against etiquette.

So Nine and Johan, who were ostensibly equal as dukes, should both refrain from introducing themselves in this case.

‘Why is he trying to introduce himself first!’

I inwardly panicked and glanced at Nine, but he showed no sign of stopping Duke Regwin from introducing himself.

Even without hearing the introduction, he must have already known who he was—was it because he wasn’t familiar with high society or because he’d never been in a position where he needed to read anyone’s mood?

‘Why is Duke Regwin acting like this?’

It was hard to tell whether it was a purely genuine greeting or if he had another intention.

The problem was, if they let him introduce himself first like this, it might make Nine look like he was trying to keep Duke Regwin in check.

No. Not a hypothesis—it would certainly be blown out of proportion by those wanting to bring Nine down.

The Eclipse ducal house already had a weak position due to little social activity.

And to start off making an enemy of one of the four great dukes?

‘Absolutely not!’

I hurriedly inserted myself between the two men.

“We are also very pleased to meet Duke Johan Regwin, master of the southern blue sea.”

If Nine wouldn’t do it, I would.

Fortunately, Duke Regwin accepted my greeting with a generous smile without showing any displeasure despite my sudden interruption.

Looking at his attitude, he had indeed tested Nine, but it didn’t seem to be with bad intentions.

“Oh! Duchess. Pleased to meet you. Unfortunately, my wife couldn’t attend due to poor health, but please accept our invitation sometime during the season.”

“Of course.”

We peacefully laughed together and asked after each other’s well-being.

As if he had no other purpose, Duke Regwin returned to others after finishing his greeting with Nine.

I took note of that place.

‘As expected, all the power players of this ball are gathered there.’

Only after the greeting with Duke Regwin concluded smoothly did the banquet hall return to its usual atmosphere.

The interest of those who had been watching to see if something would happen had cooled.

The murmuring voices and elegant music from one side filled the banquet hall.

Only when the stilled banquet hall regained its vitality did I feel like I had stepped into a place I knew.

After facing Duke Regwin, the tension that had filled me earlier seemed to be forcibly pushed down.

Perhaps because I had handled it well despite my nervousness, Nine looked at me with slight surprise.

Feeling sorry for worrying him, I gave Nine a small smile. I had been nervous, but I was also familiar with high society and not naive enough to make mistakes from nerves, so he really didn’t need to worry like this.

I removed my hand from his arm and said: “Since it’s been a while since you’ve attended a ball, you must have much to discuss with others, Your Grace.”

“My lady.”

I was trying to send Nine toward Duke Regwin to join where the other power players had gathered.

But strangely, Nine bowed his head to me and asked, “Are you not feeling well? Would it not be better for me to stay by your side?”

“…”

Our distance was close.

Even though we were in a noisy banquet hall, despite eyes and ears everywhere, Nine worried about and considered me.

Normally, at this distance, my heart would just beat cruelly.

But right now, while I was thrilled by his kindness, I was simultaneously afraid.

“My, you two get along so~oo well.”

Because I knew my fear would become reality.

‘She’s here, as expected.’

At the voice of this world’s villainess lady, which I’d forgotten while adapting to the North for several months, my heart seemed to plummet.

Frost formed on Nine’s expressionless face. He had never had good feelings toward her.

I steeled myself and turned around with a smile.

Unlike us who wore white as our theme, Helena was showing off her beauty in a bright red, voluptuous dress.

She had such an enchanting figure that in this banquet hall, the most beautiful man was Nine and the most beautiful woman was Helena.

Despite me being a duchess and her being a duke’s daughter, Helena didn’t show courtesy first but stood with her back straight, looking down at me with her tall height.

Just like she always had during our academy days, her attitude was that I should naturally bow my head to her.

Helena was in full battle mode, ready to fight with me.

‘But I have no intention of fighting.’

Since I didn’t particularly have ill feelings toward her, I intended to handle things by just deflecting her attacks moderately.

“Lady Helena Oswald.”

If only Nine hadn’t blocked the space between Helena and me as if protecting me.

When he pointed out her status with a cold expression, cracks appeared in Helena’s smiling face.

Soon, biting her lower lip, Helena bowed her head toward Nine and me.

“I greet the master and mistress of the North.”

Her considerable anger could be felt in her greeting. After all, she who always displayed perfect noble etiquette as a noble lady had offered such a poor greeting.

As their leader Helena bowed, several ladies behind her also greeted us.

“It’s been a while, Lady Oswald.”

As I slipped out from behind Nine and appropriately received the greeting, as if worried I might run away, Helena immediately covered her mouth with a fan and said to Nine, “I have old ties with your wife and urgent matters to discuss, so could you excuse us?”

Even at her words, Nine didn’t budge.

But I didn’t want to keep Nine standing there like a screen in the women’s troublesome fight.

“Your Grace. May I speak with her briefly? You should also go exchange greetings.”

“My lady.”

“It’s fine. I really do have something to discuss.”

Nine, who hadn’t even pretended to listen to Helena’s words, finally nodded at my words and added, “If you need me, please call.”

His attitude made Helena’s expression harden even more frighteningly. I sent him off, saying I understood, then faced Helena.

Once Nine left, Helena looked me up and down, then raised one eyebrow.

She seemed irritated by my appearance, dressed splendidly when I had been modest after my debutante. Since I had often read her moods by her side, I could roughly gauge even small changes.

“You look truly beautiful today. Duchess.”

The compliment she spoke with a bright smile was filled with thorns.

Normally, her followers would have brought up such blatant words first, but unlike what I knew, the ladies standing behind her were only quiet.

Finding it strange that she was directly showing her hostility to me, I looked at the ladies behind Helena.

After a quick scan, I could quickly realize that the followers gathered behind Helena were different from before.

‘Was there a purge?’

Come to think of it, most of her followers before had been heirs to their families. Naturally, they would have returned to their families after graduating from the academy.

‘Is that why?’

I couldn’t know exactly what had happened, but what mattered now was the fact that the current followers couldn’t be a threat to me.

Looking at their makeup, all the followers behind Helena were ladies from central and western noble families. Not from the academy, and not heirs to their families.

Such ladies couldn’t speak up first to me, who held the title of duchess, which was why they were quiet.

‘Though it’s a problem since I’ll have to put down that title soon.’

They were treating me this way only because I was a duchess, having snatched away prey before their eyes, but what would happen after the divorce? My head already ached.

In reality, I didn’t have strong ill feelings toward Helena and didn’t want to fight.

‘…I even wish Helena hadn’t gone to the monastery.’

But it was a fact no one would know.

“You’re already playing the duchess so convincingly.”

Helena covered her mouth with her fan and whispered. It seemed my attitude toward her greatly displeased her.

As if to block people’s gazes, Helena’s followers circled around Helena and me.